


Captain's Log

by ellerean



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, Reigisa if you squint, little bit of rinharu in the background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-18
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2018-02-05 03:14:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1803256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellerean/pseuds/ellerean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You should find <i>something</i> that you enjoy only for yourself," his mother had said, but Makoto's happiness stemmed from making others happy. But what happens when everyone else <i>is</i> happy?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Captain's Log

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SleepingTsundere](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepingTsundere/gifts).



> I usually avoid writing about a character before we know anything about him (ie, Sousuke), so you can blame the birthday girl for this one.
> 
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY ♥
> 
> (Also I basically wrote this in a day, so it's entirely unbeta'ed. HUZZAH.)

Makoto had always been told he was too selfless. It couldn’t be helped—seeing his friends happy made him happy. Seeing the twins smile at night helped him sleep. He thrived off the happiness of others, and he believed that was all he needed. He’d inherited the trait from both his parents, though his mother warned him of its downfalls. She insisted that he do things that make him happy, too, not just making other people happy.

He had hobbies—he enjoyed swimming, and liked to maintain the upkeep of the house. Even his physique helped others, being able to haul lumber for the shed he and his father were building, or bags of concrete to repair the front walk. He _liked_ the physical labor, and the fact it benefited others as well was an added bonus.

“Still,” his mother said warily, “you should find _something_ that you enjoy only for yourself.”

Makoto enjoyed spending time with his friends. He enjoyed even more when Rin was part of their fold again, loud and boisterous like he’d remembered. And when Haru and Rin started spending time alone together, that was fine, too. When Rin stood a little too close as they walked, or a blush crept over Haru’s cheeks, he knew to keep back. Makoto would merely smile to himself, waving goodbye as he head for home.

Rei and Nagisa, too, had always spent time together, even if it was just the train ride home. It was fine, seeing all his friends paired off. They were happy, and they were all still friends together, though Makoto was spending more and more Friday nights playing video games with the twins.

Which was fine, too. He loved to spend time with them, even if it meant losing on purpose sometimes.

But things were fine again come Saturday. They would all gather at the pool, and Makoto didn’t have to play captain on those days. Saturday afternoons were free of obligations, just friends splashing around like the children they were.

As Makoto head for the pool—alone this time; Haru and Rin had already been there for hours—he smiled at the distant sounds of splashing and screeching. Nagisa’s laughter could always be heard above all, and already Gou was complaining about something. Rin called for him as Makoto walked through the gate, and then an unfamiliar head popped up from the water beside him.

No, not unfamiliar . . . he’d seen that guy before . . .

“Ah, Yamazaki!” Makoto said, as Sousuke whipped the hair off his face. “I didn’t know you were joining us today.”

“I finally convinced him to get off campus,” Rin said, jostling his old best friend.

Makoto instantly sought Haru. He was drifting by himself, eyes closed to the sunlight overhead, as the others tried to avoid him as they swam. He opened one eye to the new voice at poolside, and offered a small wave without lifting his arm from the water.

“Get in the water, Tachibana,” Sousuke said. “You’re making me hot just standing there.”

It _was_ warm that day, and the cloudless sky didn’t help matters. Makoto had taken a tip from Haru over the years—his swimsuit was already on under his track pants, and he didn’t have to be asked twice to jump into the water.

The water made him happy now, too. Maybe that was one thing that provided happiness that wasn’t solely based on others, even it others had been the driving force. He could dive and stay underwater and not feel like he was drowning. He could even swim the crawl, keep his face beneath the water and not feel something pulling him down. He felt _free_ , as he should have felt, being a swimmer. As he thought Haru had felt since the moment they met.

When he came up for air, the little band had divided into groups. Even Gou was in the water, keeping close to the side, as Rei tried to convince her to swim. He tried his best to keep Nagisa away from her, but still he pulled at her arm to get her into the middle of the pool.

“Leave my sister alone!” Rin barked. He was near Haru now, his touches only obvious if one looked for them—hidden beneath Haru’s frame, visible from the slight shudder of his body. Haru quickly ducked underwater and swam away.

“Those two are disgusting,” Sousuke said with a laugh, as Rin scurried off after him. When he caught up his arms were around Haru, nuzzling his neck despite Haru’s protests.

Makoto side-eyed him—Sousuke was smiling, so maybe it wasn’t so bad. He hadn’t figured him out yet. A little too much like Rin in some cases, but maybe not so intense. _They have to be a little alike_ , he thought, as they watched Haru duck Rin underwater. Though maybe not—had Makoto absorbed any of Haru’s personality, or vice-versa? It was hard to tell when you tried to analyze yourself.

What Makoto found strange, though, was that Sousuke wasn’t swimming. He watched, too, his eyes sweeping over the pool. Suddenly, it was strange that he was there at all—Rin had come straight from Haru’s house, which meant Sousuke had come over alone. Had Rin called him? Did he know about their Saturday afternoon rituals, and invited himself? Makoto didn’t mind either way, as long as he was happy.

Gou was already out of the pool, content to simply watch as she wrapped a towel around herself. Nagisa looked a little bored, waiting for Rei to finish another lap.

“Wanna race?” Sousuke asked.

He typically wouldn’t, but there was that shine in Sousuke’s eye. And everyone else was occupied—Rin, specifically, his usual race partner—so Makoto smiled. He even agreed to swim freestyle, which everyone noticed the moment they began to race.

 _I just agreed to race freestyle_ , he thought. The lane dividers weren’t up, and they were swimming close to the wall, and Sousuke definitely kicked his shin and Makoto had smacked his shoulder, not intentionally. Sousuke won by a long-shot but Makoto surprised even himself by smiling afterward, and then his competitor’s hand was gripping his shoulder good-naturedly.

“You want a real race?” Rin said, bolting toward them. Makoto jumped up to sit on the edge of the pool, surprised by how tired his arms felt already.

It was interesting, watching Haru watch Rin. While the others cheered for the race Haru silently drifted, his eyes following them. Makoto refocused on the race, too, and they were already returning back to where he was sitting. He pulled his legs from the water and sat cross-legged just in time for them to smack the wall.

Rin pointed and laughed over his friend’s loss, and Sousuke shoved him into the water.

Makoto would always stay until the party broke up. Rei and Nagisa often left first, living the farthest away and needing to return home for dinner. Gou followed, not wanting to meet the wrath of her mother. But rather than follow Rin and Haru back to Haru’s house, Makoto stayed.

“You comin’?” Rin asked, hiking his bag over his shoulder.

“Go ahead,” Makoto replied. “I want to get a little practice in.”

Haru hesitated, but ultimately seemed satisfied with the excuse. Even if he wasn’t, Rin was already slinging an arm around his shoulders and heading for the gate.

“You’re not gonna practice, are you?” Sousuke asked.

Makoto had almost forgotten he was there. He looked up, and the sun was behind him, casting him in shadows. Sousuke crossed his arms, waiting for an answer.

“They don’t get to see each other a lot,” Makoto said as he stood. “I like to give them some alone time.”

“You’re a saint, Tachibana. You know that?”

Makoto blinked up at him. _Up_ , he realized; Sousuke was several inches taller than he was. It always threw him off. “A saint?”

He only turned back to the pool, staring down its length before glancing over his shoulder. Makoto didn’t know him well, but they all seemed to have the same mischievous look when it came to swimming. “Well, we can’t make a liar out of you,” he said. “Wanna swim?”

Makoto readily agreed. Sousuke looked happy getting back into the pool, like he was looking for any excuse not to return to school yet. He didn’t insist on racing again, which was fine by Makoto. He thought it might be weird hanging out with Rin’s friend without Rin around, but it was okay. He was easy to talk to, and he didn’t force conversation, and for a moment Makoto wondered if that was the type of comfort Haru felt with him.

“Hey, Makoto. Mind if I ask you something?”

He noticed the sudden shift to his given name, but wasn’t bothered by it. Makoto swam a lazy breaststroke closer to him. “Not at all. What is it?”

Sousuke seemed to be studying him, like he already gauged his reaction. Like he wasn’t sure whether to ask his question at all. “When we were kids . . .” he started.

Makoto’s eyes widened slightly. He hadn’t expected that kind of conversation; they hadn’t even known each other as kids, outside a name on a rival team’s roster.

But before Makoto could urge him to go on, Sousuke did. “I remember Rin telling me about when Haru fell in the river.”

He paused, and Makoto was glad they were in the water—he dipped down to his shoulders, crossing his arms in the sudden chill.

“You were the one who helped him out, right?”

Makoto couldn’t answer. He tried to focus on the _now_ , of swimming with his friends and not being afraid and being near Sousuke when they raced earlier. But he still clenched his fists, and he must have noticed something regardless, because Sousuke’s hand was suddenly on Makoto’s shoulder. Not firm, like he’d expected, but gentle. Comforting.

“Hey, it’s all right!” he said, lightly shaking him. “I’m sorry! I was just—”

“It’s okay,” he said, as Sousuke’s warmth crawled over his shoulder and into his chest. “I’m okay now. Yeah, that was . . .” he trailed off.

_Hard? Terrifying?_

Makoto didn’t resist when Sousuke hugged him. He could tell he felt bad for bringing it up, just in how tightly he held on. It was a little weird, since they weren’t standing up in the water. Sousuke had sunk down to his shoulders, too, and his legs were extended beside Makoto’s body, and he was twisted so he could face Makoto head-on—even though he couldn’t see his face, because it was now right beside his own, his cheek feeling both damp and warm.

It was a long hug for a friendly gesture. Makoto hadn’t moved yet—his body was stiff beneath the water, but he allowed Sousuke to hold on tight, and he gave good hugs. He imagined Sousuke giving them to Rin all the time when they were kids, either calming him down or giving him a wild embrace when they won a race together.

“You okay?” Sousuke asked.

His breath was warm on Makoto’s shoulder. He nodded, and then it was Sousuke’s turn to be surprised. Makoto returned the hug; he felt Sousuke’s slight shudder as his hands rested on his hips.

Sousuke held tighter around his shoulders. “It sucks when you think you’re losing a friend,” he said. “Drowning’s a lot different than having him suddenly pack up for Australia without telling you, but . . .”

 _Drowning_. Haru could’ve _drowned_. He closed his eyes, no longer surprised by the embrace, but more surprised that he still felt comforted by the water. He didn’t have the urge to claw out of the pool. Maybe it helped that he wasn’t alone. Maybe it was okay because someone was holding _him_ , someone whose build was even bigger than his own, who he felt protected by.

 _That doesn’t make sense_ , Makoto thought. _I hardly even know him._

“I don’t expect you to go spilling all your secrets to me,” Sousuke said, finally letting go. Makoto felt suddenly cold, rubbing the goose bumps from his biceps. “I just . . . I dunno why I even brought it up. Guess it was an excuse to talk to you.”

“To . . . me?” Makoto sunk down even farther, his chin brushing the water’s surface as he spoke. “You don’t need a excuse. You’re Rin’s friend, so you’re a friend of mine, too.”

He thought maybe that sounded selfless. He thought about it a lot now, after his mother’s lectures, and then Sousuke calling him a saint. But it was true—they were all friends, even if they didn’t know each other that well yet.

“You want to grab something to eat?” Sousuke asked.

“Sure,” he replied, answering too quickly. “I mean, I have to ask my mom. She probably made dinner already.”

It was fine, his mother said, when he called. She seemed a little too eager to get him out of the house, hanging out with a new friend and not just tagging along with Rin and Haru.

“Do I tag along with Rin and Haru?” He blankly stared at the phone after hanging up, not realizing that Sousuke was standing right behind him.

“Nah,” he replied, squeezing water from the ends of his hair. “Well, I guess it could look that way, but you guys have something special. Of course”—he clapped Makoto on the shoulder—“wouldn’t hurt to do something for yourself for a change.”

Makoto dropped his phone into his pants pocket. Sousuke was holding his swim bag out to him but when he didn’t take it right away, draped it over Makoto’s shoulder for him.

“What do you feel like having?” Sousuke asked, holding the gate door open.

“Oh, it doesn’t matter; whatever you—” He stopped, the gate clicking shut behind them. Sousuke raised a curious eyebrow. “You know,” Makoto said, “I could really go for some curry.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> ([Here](http://letsswimtogethernanase.tumblr.com/post/89112848353) on tumblr.)


End file.
